Vol 2 Review

Sometimes I think I should go all out and do a review broken down, story by story and narrator by narrator and maybe if I wasn't writing this on my phone I might have but since I am ill keep it simple. I read the reviews when choosing new audio books so its only right I write too for others, so here goes.
Overall- The reason I gave 4 stars overall is purely because the stories are not labelled and the whole index is just chapter 1 upwards. There is no way to distinguish 1 story from another. When I started listening to audiobooks I read some reviews where people complained about this and I was like "Well, so what". When you reading a single book like I was it can be a pain but no issue right? Not so, and definitely not so with a collection. Especially if like me you listen while falling asleep, finding where you were later/next day is a nightmare!
Conscious that this is getting long winded and no one will read it I'll move swifty and concisely on.
Performance- Easily 5. The narrators were all great because whether male or female they were able to bring David Tenants Doctor to life having captured his nuance of speech and deliverer of dialogue. Because this is so distinctive to his doctor it was needed to make the performances work.
Story- The collection is really worth it for the stories which is the reason to buy and listen after all. All are all good, however, the ones listed below are my favourites. Wonder if you agree
Ghost's of India
Snowglobe 7
Wishing well
The Many Hands
Beautiful Chaos

Enjoy and hope this revieq was not to.long to read

2 people found this helpful

Another great collection.

Overall

All the stories are pretty good. The first few are with Martha, four are with Donna, and the last is the Doctor alone.

All are well narrated but Bernard Cribbins was by far my favourite.

Wishing Well
Written by Trevor Baxendale
Read by Debbie Chazen

Very good story. Overall great narration, I wasn’t too sure on Martha’s voice even towards the end I just didn’t like it but on the whole great.

SPOILERS:

There is treasure in the wishing well in the centre of Creighton Mere. There is a team of people digging underneath and search for it.

The Doctor and Martha meet Angela, and later Sadie, who wish to restore the old well. They tell them the well hasn’t had water in for many years, and part of the resteration is to find out why. When the Doctor and Martha hear about treasure being at the bottom of the well they are intrigued. After meeting Nigel Carson and his university students, Ben Seddon and Duncan Goode - who claim to be writing a tour guide for the area but are suspected of searching for the treasure - they are told to go and speak to Barney Hackett, the local tramp who is supposedly an expert on the local legends.

That’s when everything goes wrong. The man disintegrates in front of them and The Doctor and Martha are pulled into an alien invasion by the Vurosis.


The Many Hands
Written by Dale Smith
Read by David Troughton

Very horroresqe, well written and intriguing. The narration is good as well, bringing the story to life.

SPOILERS:

In 1759 in Edinburgh a cart is being dragged down the street by spooked horses. On top of the Court or two figures. We soon soon then that one is the doctor. Highwayman has jumped on top of the coach in an attempt to get to its occupants. The redcoats take came and begin firing the doctor realising that the Highwaymans been shot and is falling off the coach to his death jumps and tried to save him.

As Always happens, the doctor gets into trouble accused of trying to rob with Stagecoach he’s taken prisoner and marched to Edinburgh Castle. On his daring escape he breaks away from Martha and one of the chasing redcoats falls Behind him. I sold you rose towards the Norlock the doctor makes decision. He turns and dashes towards fallen man saving him before he hits the water, But being recaptured in the process.

But something stirring in the water, walking out towards them are the reanimated bodies of the dead. The redcoats, following their commanding officer, and scared for their lives and the lives of those they protect, begin firing. Corpses chase them down and the Doctor, McAllister, and his men dash for the boat on the shore.

Meanwhile Martha having escaped a different way, meet Alexander Monro and his father. They are surgeons, they have been practising on dead bodies, dissecting them to discover how to cure people.

But the doctor isn’t really all he seems. After saving Martha from the redcoats, he takes her inside and shuts her in a room with no visible door. She can hear and feel creatures moving around her, scrabbling in the dark. When she finds an oil lamp Martha manages to light it and as she turns looking around the room she finds hands. Animated hands, hands moving all around her. They seem to hear her. They seem to see her. Scared i’m realising that they are coming for the light and not her, she shuts it off, and the hands go back to attempting to get to the light from the other end of the room.

But what are they? What are they doing here? What do they want?

Martha in the Mirror
Written by Justin Richards
Read by Freema Agyeman

On the whole a good story. Felt quite long, I think that’s because unlike the other stories and is collection it is separated into lots of chapters and it begins each time with chapter whatever number. Freema does as good a job as usual.

SPOILERS:

The doctor decides to take Martha to a amusement park. Not surprisingly the doctor gets the time a little bit wrong and ended up arriving in the middle of the peace talks before the amusement park was made.

He and Martha are taken on a tour by one of the silent monks. Whilst on the tour they find a glass diary hidden in the wall.

But the monk behind them isn’t the monk they began with, and after attacking them, they need to find out who he is and why he is here Whilst ensuring the peace talks continue.

Snowglobe 7
Written by Mike Tucker
Read by Georgia Moffett

An intriguing story excellently read.

SPOILERS:

Once again the doctor has landed in the wrong place for the wrong time. Walking out into the cold snow they begin searching for life, they weren’t expecting to see hot beaches through the glass around the Dome.

As the Doctor and Martha travel through the snow they hear a chattering, an earthly sound. Knowing they’re being chased they rush as quickly as they can towards the nearest airlock.

Once inside they meet some scientists, who call a security detail to escort them away. As they wait, and speak, they mistake the Doctor and Martha for people sent to help them. People have become infected with an unknown contagion, apparently contracted through some eggs which have been unearthed.

The Doctor and Martha begin to investigate the happenings in the Snowglobe, eventually discovering the creatures behind the infection and deaths.

Ghosts of India
Written by Mark Morris
Read by David Troughton

Good story, well read. This story features Donna as the Doctors sidekick unlike the others which have Martha. You’ll also get to meet Mohandas Gandhi in this brilliant book.

SPOILERS:

The Doctor lands in India in what he believes is 1937. He’s taking Donna to have real Indian food at a restaurant where he knows the owner. He’s oblivious to the looks he’s getting and the emotions Donna picks up on. It turns out they have arrived in 1947 - just when India was being handed back control of the country by the English.

With mobs on the streets and conflict rife, the Doctor and Donna are separated. The Doctor discovers that people are being mutated by zytron energy.

But how? Where is the radiation coming from? Humans shouldn’t discover it for years. More than that a young boy has seen Shiva at an old temple in the forest and a woman’s husband was taken away by half formed human creatures. Can the Doctor and Donna get to the bottom of this?

The Doctor Trap
Written by Simon Guerrier
Read by Russell Tovey

Great concept for a story but I didn’t find it very engaging. In fact I found it quite confusing at some points. That could’ve been because I was listening to it rather than reading it I’m not sure but I just didn’t really like this one that much. The narrator was very good but I didn’t like the voices he used for the Doctor or Donna.

SPOILERS:

Not surprisingly, the Doctor and Donna are fighting for their lives. They get separated and Donna leaves with the doctor to be deposited into our hotel safe far away. The Doctor is confronted with... the Doctor.

Taken to Planet One the Doctor is hunted. Sebastian has gathered the hunters together to exterminate the Doctor, and the Time Lords.

Shining Darkness
Written by Mark Michalowski
Read by Debbie Chazen

Intriguing storyline, well written. Narrated quite well by Debbie Chazan

SPOILERS:

The doctor is taking Donna to look around and Art Gallery. Whilst they’re there he notices something, something in the air. Immediately he rushes to see the administrator. Whilst he’s gone Donna disappears with the art.

The doctor because of a frantic search looking for Donna and the artwork that was stolen. He is taken to a ship and told about a cult called the Shining darkness.

Shining darkness see all mechanical lifeforms as robots. Servants built for one purpose and one purpose alone. And members of the shining darkness have Donna on board the ship.

The doctor gives chase on board another ship. And learns that the shining darkness are trying to gather parts that have been spread across the Galaxy and put them together to create a machine that will destroy all mechanical life.

Will the doctor be able to help find all the pieces in time and save the mechanical lifeforms? Will he be able to find Donna and bring her back to him?

Beautiful Chaos
Written by Gary Russell
Read by Bernard Cribbins

A very intriguing story, Gary Russell sucks you in from the beginning. He really makes you feel the emotions and Bernard Cribbins narrating just pushes it that extra mile. An absolutely brilliant story.

SPOILERS:

The doctor and on her return home for a visit. As ever Donna’s mother starts on her straight away. Her grandfather has missed her but her grandfather also has a new friend. Netty.

Wilf has spotted a new star, and it’s been named after him. He goes to the allotment with the Doctor and shows him. The Doctor sees something though. That star isn’t supposed to be there, nor that one, nor that one. Accompanying Wilf, Netty, and Donna to Wilfs naming ceremony for the star, the Doctor begins asking questions and putting the pieces together.

After a call from the observatory, the Doctor and Donna drop Wilf and Netty off then race to discover what is happening in the sky... and what it could mean for earth.

The Eyeless
Written by Lance Parkin
Read by Russell Tovey

Okay story, seemed a little confusing at points, Russell was quite good as a narrator.

SPOILERS:

The Doctor arrives alone on a beautiful planet with a green sky. He walks to a destroyed city on the now barren planet, towards the fortress capable of destroying everything. It needs to be de-activated and he’s the only person who knows how to do it.

On route he is confronted by a group of young people. They tell him of the ghosts. Ghosts who appear and if they touch you, they make you disappear. One appears to prove the point and all of them run, in different directions. The Doctor meets Alsa properly and she surprises him.

When the Doctor wakes he’s in a makeshift camp of survivors and now needs to prove himself to them to earn the chance to escape and complete his plan.

1 person found this helpful

Good collection of stories.

Each story told by different narrator. Fun adventures laughs and heart ache. What more can you ask for.

Great book, great value!

First Dr Who book I've purchased and listened to. Loved it, well worth the money.